Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was praised by Udinese manager Kosta Runjaic following the Bianconeri’s disappointing 3-0 loss against Lecce in their Serie A encounter on Sunday.
The Nigerian goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, had faced considerable scrutiny after a costly mistake resulted in Torino’s decisive goal in their previous league outing, but manager Kosta Runjaic retained full confidence in his first-choice shot-stopper.
Runjaic expressed strong faith in the 27-year-old international despite Udinese’s unsatisfactory collective performance across the pitch.
Goals from Gaspar, Konan N’Dri, and Jamil Siebert ensured that Lecce handed Udinese their fifth consecutive defeat in the Italian top flight. However, Okoye stood tall between the posts despite the heavy scoreline and continued to perform admirably under pressure.
The Super Eagles goalkeeper made several crucial saves throughout the contest, denying N’Dri and Kaba clear-cut scoring opportunities to prevent an even larger margin of defeat for the home side.
“The team didn’t show its best side, and we made numerous mistakes. Okoye also played well and contributed,” Runjaic stated during his post-match press conference while reflecting on the outcome. “Nevertheless, in general terms, success and failure are collective experiences. I did not expect a game of this nature.”
Okoye has now made eight appearances for Udinese across all competitions this season. However, his only clean sheet came during a Coppa Italia fixture against Padova back on August 15. Udinese will be looking to regroup quickly to snap their losing streak, with Runjaic maintaining that team cohesion and defensive discipline will be critical moving forward into their upcoming Serie A matches.
Despite the setback, Okoye’s resilience under fire remains a positive takeaway for the club as they navigate a challenging stretch in their campaign. The Nigerian international will hope to build on his individual display and help secure a positive result in their next fixture.
